What Story Are You Trying To Tell?

Your audience has a special connection with your personalities. How they fuel that connection differs from person to person, and the method of delivery is changing. If we’re not careful enough to recognize this new medium (and the impact it will have in our industry), we’ll miss out on monetization opportunities and the marketing and positioning of our personalities as the markets’ top talents.

At the Podcast Movement in Chicago, I’ve learned a few things about how to take our current talents and craft their digital message properly. Today, storytelling was a common theme. I think there are a few important points to share with you to make your personalities better storytellers:

Glynn Washington with Snap Judgement said good storytellers are not trying to convince you of anything, and the power of telling a good story is it can provoke change.

Kevin Smith is the co-founder of the Smodcast Podcast network, along with acting in and directing major motion pictures. He says a podcasting is all about self-expression. Your personalities are a story in themselves. Making a podcast doesn’t require talent, but what it does require is having something to say.

Eric Nuzum with Audible has just launched a series of podcasts through his platform. When looking for new podcasts to develop, there’s one important thing he looks for. Besides telling a story, he’s looking for someone to “surprise” him! Predictability is boring, not only to your listeners but also your creators. Encourage them to create an experience.

Andrew Warner with Mixergy pointed out that we’re not spending enough time asking questions to figure out the problems of our listeners. Before we can tell a story, we need to understand what the listeners care about, what’s holding them back, and solving the problem by delivering that content. It’s a powerful way to connect with listeners over a long duration.

Ryan Wrecker programs WOWO Radio in Fort Wayne, Indiana, for Federated Media. You can reach him on Twitter @RyanWrecker or email him at [email protected]